Can pouring spout



.A. 'M. NORZA CAN POURING SPOU'I Filed June 20, 1938 Oct. 31, 1939.

- INVENTOR.

ANGELO M. M0324 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '1 Claims. (cl.221-23) This invention relates to spouts for tin cans containing liquidsof any kind, particularly milk, olive oil, fruit juices, wine, etc., andthe invention has for its principal object a spout device which may beused to puncture the can and also for pouring the liquid fromthe canwhile at the same time properly providing for the ingress of air to takethe place of the liquid being poured out. o

A feature of the invention is to provide both an air admission passageand a liquid outlet passage which will both open to the interior of the'can through the base of the spout, yet their outer ends will be widelyseparated and with the 15 air inlet uppermost when the can is tipped forpouring from the spout.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a connectingpassage in the handle of the device which joints the air inlet passagewith 90 the liquid outlet passage so as to run any liquid which mightwork into the air passage back into the liquid passage.

Another feature is to provide an air passage inlet which will form atrap for any stray liquid.

Still anotherfeature is the provision of twin piercing and cutting edgeson the can penetrating and of the device, and a final object is simple,inexpensive construction in an article of this kind which is easily keptclean and in sanitary 3o condition for use in dispensing liquid foodproducts.

Other features and advantages of the inven-- ,tion will appear in thefollowing description and accompanying drawing,

In the drawing:

Figure l is an elevation of my improvedcan spout shown partly in sectionandprojecting through the upper end of a can from which it is desired topour the liquid contents.

of Figure 1. V a

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation, and bottom plan viewsof a modified form of my can spout.

Figures 5 and 6 are respectivelya vertical cross section and a bottomplan view of a further modifled form of my can spout.-

Figures .7 and 8 are respectively a side eleva- 'tion and bottom planview of another modified 50 form of my can spout.

Figure 9 is an elevation, partly in section showing another modificationsomewhat similar to the form of the device shown in Figure 5.

Briefly described, the device comprises a han- 5 die for grasping thedevice and forcing it through the can, a base portion which is formedwith a flange to seat against the outer surface of the end or other flatwall of a can, one or more can .piercing spurs or cutters for piercingthe can, a 60 threaded exterior or a couple of spiral grooves Figure 2is a bottom plan view of the device for screwing the flange of the basefirmly against the can after puncturing the same by turning the can, andlastly a liquid outlet passage and an air inlet passage, and in its morecomplete form a drain-back passage extending from the air inlet passagetothe liquid outlet passage.

In all of the figures the above elements where they occur are given thesame letter designation and the special features or differences aredenoted by figures.

In the drawing the can is designated A, its top wall B, the handle ofthe device C, the base flange D,'the can puncturing device E, the liquidoutlet passage F, the air inlet passage G, and the drainage connectingpassage H.

In all the forms shown the flange D is preferably round and the handle(3 (when considered as a whole), is flat and extends across the top ofthe flange, the liquid and air passages are formed in the handle, andthe can puncturing prong or cutter E extends from the under side of theflange D.

In the-form shown in Figures 1,, 7 and 9, the handle is of triangularform when viewed in elevationand has its apex secured to the base,

either by being integrally formed therewith, or welded or brazedthereto.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 5 the handle is a round ring.

In the form shown in Figure 1 two can puncturing prongs are shown, one Ebeing somewhat shorter than the other, and both taken together form, atapered cylinder 2 sharpened at its outer end and notched at oppositesides as at 3 to form the prongs and which are also sharpened at theedgesof the notches so that when the if a fiat can) the handle may beturned to cut out a circle of tin, and upon further turning the washer 5thereunder, seats tightly against the can and with the pouring end F ofpassage F turned to point away from the can as shown in Figure l. v v

Cylindrical portion 2 is open below for passage of both liquid and air,but is also preferably provided with extra holes 6 in its sides forliquid and l for air. I The design of Figure 1 also has a small metallid 8 pivotally mounted at 9 over the liquid outlet and which may beswung to the open position dotted, and preferably will stay in eitherposition due to the shape of the thin sheet metal hinge formation in. Inthis design the air inlet opening I l at the upper end of air passage Gis considerably elevated over the outer end of the liquid outlet passageF' and the drainage passage runs down hill (as does also the outer endof the liquid passage) so that any liquid in the passages will prongsare pushed through a can top (or side wall easily drain back through themain liquid passage. By having the air passage relatively small asindicated, also its upper end elevated and onset from the connectingpassage H, as shown at l I, as well as widely spaced from the liquidpassage by reason of the diverging forms of the passages F and G in thehandle, I find practically no tendency of the liquid to run out of theair passage when the can is tipped over for pouring.

In the form shown in Figure 3 the handle is a plain hollow ring-shapedtube with its two ends brought together as at l2, l2 and brazed orotherwise secured to the flange D. A liquid outlet hole is formed at l3at one side of the ring, and a smaller air inlet hole at I at theopposite side of the ring-like handle at a more elevated position. Thetwo pointed circular cutters E are here'shown both of the same length,but the construction below the flange D is otherwise as described forFigure 1 and similarly numbered.

It is of course evident from a consideration oi. Figures 1 and 3 thatthe liquid openings 6 may be placed in the best position to get the lastdrop out of the can if desired, or in the position shown which will justavoid any sediment.

In the design of Figure 3, since the tubular handle has a uniform bore,it is desirable that the hole through the flange D connecting the airinlet side of the ring bore, be of reduced diameter as shown at G inFigures 3 and 4.

In the form shown'in Figures 5 and 9 the drainage passage H has beenomitted for simplicity and cheapening of the construction, and in Figure5-the passages are almost straight to permit more easily cleaning, as byrunning a pipe stem cleaning brush through them. In Figure 9 the twopointed arcuate cutter blades or prongs are used as shown in Figures 1to 4, except that they are arranged at right angles to the plane of thehandle 'C and hence only one is seen in the drawing. It is possible usebut one of these cutters, but two of them, especially if one is longerthan the other as shown in Figure 1, works much better.

In Figures 5 and 6 the cutters are dispensed with and a single centrallypointed tapered prong E is used as the can puncturing device, and withthe liquid and air passages following down and opening at opposite sidesof the prong as indicated. The base 01 the prong where it Joins theflange is provided with a tapered thread 4, the same as for the designof Figures. 1, 3 and 9, for screwing tightly into the hole afteri'orming with the prong. It is preferably that the threads be deep andsubstantially of the square type as indicated in Figure 1, as it holdsbetter, though the V type thread may also be used. Also it is desirableto provide a rubber washer as at Ii, though if properly applied, thespout will seat tightly in place without it.

The design shown in Figures 7 and 8 has a can puncturing prong similarto that of Figure 5 except that instead of a thread it has a singlespiral groove 4' formed at opposite sides 01' the prong, and theopposite sides of the prong between these grooves is cut away as at E",so that after pushing the prong through the can top, it may be firmlyclinched in place' against the top by giving the spout a-quarter turn. p

In this design the handle is of triangular form with the passages asdescribed, but the air inlet is formed with an outwardly and upwardlyextending nozzle l5 providing an enlarged chamber i6 positioned betweena restricted opening H and a screw i8 threaded into the outer end of thenozzle and pierced by a small aperture l9. This arrangement forms a trapwhich aids against any engage through an opening in a can and formedwith a spout having a liquid passage extending through said base, an airinlet passage opening through said base into the can adjacent saidliquid passage and open at the outer end of said body at a point remotefrom said spout and in a position to'be elevated therefrom when the canis tipped for pouring, and a passageway within said body connecting boththe air inlet passage and the liquid passage at points adjacent theirouter ends.

2. A can spout having a base provided with means for puncturing a canand clinching it thereto, a handle extending upward from the baseprovided with a liquid outlet passage and an air inlet passage passingthrough the base at their lower ends and diverging upwardly through thehandle and opening at remote points thereon, and a handle memberconnecting the liquid and air passage portions of the handle at pointsadjacent their outer ends. 7

3. A can spout having a base provided with means for puncturing a canand clinching it thereto, a handle extending upward from the baseprovided with a liquid outlet passage and an air inlet passage passingthrough the base at their lower ends and diverging upwardly through thehandle and opening at remote points thereon, and a passage in saidhandle connecting the liquid and-air passages at points adjacent theirouter ends, said air inlet passage being relatively small at its outerend and connecting to an enlarged chamber in turn connecting by asmaller opening to said passage.

4. In a can spout as set out in claim 2, the means for clinching thebase to the can comprising a pair of spiral grooves, one at oppositesides only of said pointed end adjacent the base, and the air and liquidpassages being separated where they enter the can and grooved down thesides of said pointed end intermediate said spiral grooves.

5. A can spout provided with a base adapted for securing into an openingin a can, a handle projecting upward from said base having asubstantially inverted U shaped passageway with both ends extendingspacedly through said base, and two spaced openings to atmosphere formedin the passageway at spaced points in said handle.

6. In a can spout as set out in claim 2, said handle being substantiallytriangular with its small end secured to said base, and said passagesgenerally following the margins of the triangle.

7. In a can spout as set out in claim 2, said handle being substantiallytriangular with its small end secured to said base, and said passagesgenerally following the margins of the triangle with an air inlet andliquid outlet being respectively at opposite upper corners of thetriangle.

ANGELO M. NORZA.

